Twelfth Night
by RemyCool
Summary: The Doctor, having regenerated once more, embarks on a new adventure when he encounters a lost human girl on a strange new world.
1. Chapter 1

The Doctor stumbled into the TARDIS and quickly closed the door, locking it to prevent anyone from getting in. He staggered over to the controls, clutching his side as he went. He reached the console and slammed the nearest lever down, sending the old ship into flight. He leaned up against the console and reached up to straighten his bow tie. Sadly, it had been burnt in the firefight.

"Oh, well," he observed sadly. "Nothing lasts forever." He looked down at his side and pulled his hand away, revealing the red stain that had gathered there. He had had many demises before, but being shot was new on him.

"At least I didn't trip over a brick."

He knew it was coming. His body was getting weaker and he was feeling cold and numb. Soon his body would start the process of regeneration. This life would end and a new one would begin. No more madman in a box. No more cool hats. No bow ties.

"You know," he said to no one in particular. "One of these days I would like to get a body that lasts for more than a decade. Then again, if I had one of those I wouldn't be me. Never mind."

He raised himself off the console and went to stand in the center of the room. Last time he had done this, he had destroyed the console and nearly the entire ship. Then he had to stop an alien incursion with a fire truck and a cell phone. "Good old Ponds. They never let me down."

He looked around his beloved TARDIS one last time. In a minute or two, he would be looking at her through new eyes and he wanted to cherish his own for a moment longer. He looked down at his hands in time to see them glowing with Gallifreyan energy. Looking to the console, he said "See you on the other side, sexy."

His entire body began glowing and as it began to surge forth he cried out one last "GERONIMO!" as he burst with energy. The glow was so powerful it almost overpowered the lights in the TARDIS as every cell in the Time Lord's ancient form rewrote and renewed itself. Letting out a cry of pain as his new form completed himself, the surge of energy ceased and there was a new man standing in the Doctor's tweed jacket and bloodstained shirt.

He stood there for a moment as he caught his breath and adjusted to his new senses. He looked over himself. "Legs, check. Arms, noted. Hands, feet, fingers, toes, all seem to be in place. Eyes and mouth go without saying. Nose…" He sniffed the air. "Working. Mostly, anyway. Hair." He pulled a strand down and stared at it. "Not ginger, but not bad."

He ran over to the console and checked the monitor. "Still in flight, that's good. You've still got it, old girl." Turning his attention back to himself, he noticed the blood on his shirt. "This won't do. Old blood touching new body. Last thing I need is to get sentimental. I need a new shirt first. Then I'll get nostalgic." He started towards the wardrobe as he began to remove his outfit. He untied the remnants of his bow tie and gazed at it for a moment. "A new tie is in order as well."

* * *

Roughly an hour later, the Doctor emerged from the wardrobe clad in a new outfit. He wore a black button-down shirt and a platinum waistcoat and tie with a pair of carpenter jeans and a simple pair of sneakers. His sonic screwdriver was tucked into one of his side pockets and he had a pocket watch on his waistcoat.

He returned to the console room, grabbing a gray fedora from the hat stand as he passed it. Placing the hat on his head, he switched the monitor to mirror mode and observed his new face.

"Not bad, all things considered. In retrospect, it could have been worse. Still, I would have liked to be ginger." He returned the monitor to normal and turned his attention to the controls, flipping switches and pulling levers at random. "All right, gorgeous, where shall we go next?"

* * *

On Earth, a young woman was walking home from university after a long day of classes. Rebecca Wilson shifted her bag on her shoulder and continued to tread the path from her last class to her flat. It was the last class of the week for her and she was looking forward to meeting her friends this evening for drinks and dancing. Maybe Todd would be there.

It would seem, though, that fate had other plans in mind. Just as Rebecca reached the corner, she was surrounded by a strange purple mist. It coalesced around her and before she could even scream, she had been whisked away towards the heavens.

* * *

A thousand light years from Earth, on a strange alien world, creatures of all shapes and sizes and colors moved through the local spaceport. Different species moved this way and that, heading towards a ship, shopping with various vendors, and just generally milling about.

In a tucked away corner of the spaceport, far from the hustle and bustle, an unfamiliar wind kicked up and a grinding, whooshing sound started to sound. The noise grew in intensity as a light appeared in the air and a blue police box faded into view. The TARDIS finished materializing and landed with a loud thump. A moment later, the door opened and the Doctor emerged.

"Ah, the spaceport of Bu-Ruk Octavus. I haven't been here since the Prince of Ez'Bikoy visited before his coronation," the Doctor said as he looked around. "I hope he's not here. I still owe him a game hen."

The Doctor strolled through the spaceport, taking in the sights and occasionally stopping to chat with some of the locals. Everything seemed ordinary at the spaceport. Until, that is, the Doctor heard a scream of terror coming from somewhere nearby. Turning towards the sound, the Doctor grinned with delight. "That's more like it," he chuckled as he ran off towards the cry.

* * *

Rebecca found herself surrounded on all sides by strange creatures. They were tall, nearly seven feet, and reptillian. They wore black armor over their dark blue scales and they were pointing what looked like rifles at her. They spoke in a language that she couldn't understand. It was clear by the way that they kept glancing at her, though, that they were talking about her. One of them motioned at her with his rifle, indicating that she was to follow. She didn't know what they had planned, but she could guess that it wasn't good.

"Listen, I think there's been some kind of mistake here. I was just going to meet some mates at the club and I ended up here. So, look, I think I'll just be going." She tried to move away, but the lizard-man moved to block her path.

"Sorry to interrupt, lads, but I think you've got the wrong person," said a new voice. Rebecca turned to see a man who had just come around the corner. He looked rather normal compared to the lizard-men, dressed in jeans and a waistcoat, but still out of place in this alien surrounding. He pulled a strange device out of his pocket and pointed it at her. The device emitted a soft green glow and a strange buzzing noise.

"You see, I thought there was a mix-up," he said as he returned the device to his pocket. "You see, fellas, she's a human from Earth. There shouldn't be any humans on this planet for another three centuries."

The lizard-man spoke back in his strange language, causing the man to roll his eyes. "Oh, don't start with that. You think I don't recognize a multidimensional wave transducer when I see one? That's stolen technology. What's worse is you don't even know how to use it. Let me guess, you just picked a star and pushed the button, didn't you?"

The lizard hissed some more words, pointing at Rebecca.

"Call it what you like, Captain, but you kidnapped a citizen of a Level 5 planet. Do you have any idea how many articles of the Shadow Proclamation that violates? If they were here right now…Ooh, I wouldn't want to be you. Luckily for you, I'm a reasonable bloke. Let the girl go and we'll call this a big misunderstanding and go our separate ways? Deal?"

The lizard-man became agitated and hissed and spat at the man. Rebecca didn't have to know what he was saying to know that he was angry. He leveled his rifle at the man. In response, he pulled his device out and pointed it at the rifle, causing the buzzing sound again. The lizard pulled the trigger but nothing happened.

"In all fairness, I tried to be reasonable. Oh, well. Plan B." He reached around the lizard and grabbed Rebecca's hand. "Run!" he shouted, pulling her with him as he charged off.


	2. Chapter 2

Rebecca was confused, to say the least. In the space of the last half hour she had been transported to a strange world, held captive by blue lizards-men and rescued by a strange talking man in a waistcoat and a fedora. As if that weren't enough, they were now running through the spaceport and dodging laser fire from the creatures. Good thing she had done her workout this morning.

The pair turned a corner and the man pulled her into a nearby doorway. Pulling the wand-like device out of his pocket, he buzzed it for a few seconds. It closed itself and she could hear the faint click of a lock. The man put the wand away and turned to her, a cheerful and slightly manic grin on his face. "That should do for now. Aoppians are big, ugly and ill-tempered but, fortunately, none too bright. They won't find us for a bit. Now then, let's have a look at you." He began to look her over, checking for signs of injuries.

Rebecca looked at him, as well. He was a strange individual. He looked human, but acted like he was more at home in this alien setting than he would be on Earth in a bookstore or a pub. He had been able to understand the aliens without trouble, meaning he must know their language. She wondered how many languages he knew. And what was that wand device he was using? He had scanned her with it and then used it to lock a door. What else could it do? Most important, however, was the answer to another question. "Who are you?"

Looking up at her, he grinned. "Oh, sorry. I suppose introductions are in order, aren't they? Hello, I'm the Doctor."

"Doctor who?"

"Just the Doctor. And you are?"

She was confused at his introduction. What sort of person only called themselves the Doctor. Did he not have a proper name or did he simply choose not to use it? Ignoring it for the present, she replied "Rebecca. Rebecca Wilson."

"Nice to meet you, Rebecca Rebecca Wilson." She started to correct him until she noticed the playful look on his face.

"Cheeky, aren't you?" she said with a smile.

"I've been called worse," he replied, resuming his examination.

"Like what?"

His face grew dark for a second, so briefly Rebecca wasn't sure she had even seen it. Resuming his friendly demeanor, he said "The school swot who never got kissed."

Rebecca chuckled at his answer. He was handsome and funny. Gentle, as well. He examined her with care and tenderness. _He's different from Todd._

Finally, the Doctor finished. "All seems to be in order. Clean bill of health. Can't be too careful when it comes to Aoppians. I guess we should be getting you home. Let me guess. Bristol?"

"How did you know?"

"I saw the logo on your bag when I grabbed you. What are you studying?"

"Physics."

"Really?" he said with a hint of intrigue in his voice. "Maybe we can exchange theories sometime."

"I've just started. I doubt I'd compare to a doctor. Is that your PhD?"

He gave her an amused look. "Among other things. Come on. Lizard lads must have given up by now." He opened the door and peeked around. Just down the corridor, he spotted the Aoppians. "Maybe not."

Rebecca peeked around him at the creatures. "Who are they?"

"Pirates and slave traders, mostly. That device they had was how they transported you here. They were probably going to sell you to some sheik or something. Fortunately for you, they didn't have the sense to use it somewhere they wouldn't be noticed. Doubly fortunate for you, I just happened to be nearby. Mind you, I wasn't looking for trouble. New face and all, I was actually going to take a vacation, but life is strange that way."

Rebecca was confused for a moment. Had he said something about a new face? She was about to ask more, but thought better of it. Every moment they spent together brought more questions than answers. "Can't you stop them?"

"Probably, but I don't want to risk you. I just rescued you, after all."

"But if we can do something, shouldn't we? What's to stop them from grabbing someone else?"

"If you feel that strongly about it, we are. Let's follow them."

* * *

Some time later, Rebecca and the Doctor had followed the Aoppians to a dark and isolated corner of the spaceport. They had gathered outside of a large and scary looking ship and Rebecca could see that they were not alone. There were three more of the aliens loading cages full of other strange beings. More slaves, no doubt.

She looked over at the Doctor, whose cheerful look had been replaced by one of anger. "Why am I not surprised? Aoppians only care about making money and they don't care who they hurt." The pair moved closer to the ship, taking refuge behind a stack of crates. They watched as the Aoppians continued to load the slaves into their ship.

Rebecca watched the aliens, looking for any way to get to the slaves and get them loose. The lizards were armed, however, and the only thing either of them had that was close to a weapon was the Doctor's wand device. "Do you have a plan, Doctor?" she asked him. Hearing nothing, she turned to the Doctor only to find him gone. Looking around, she found him a few feet away. He was standing in the open and approaching the ship with an air of confidence.

A moment later, the Aoppians noticed him and leveled their weapons at him. The Doctor reached in his pocket and pulled out a small leather wallet. He opened it and flashed what appeared to Rebecca to be a blank piece of paper. The Doctor spoke "You don't want to be doing that to a customs inspector, gents. Especially with so much contraband lying in plain sight."

The largest of the lizards stepped forward and hissed at the Doctor in his strange language.

"Sure, you could kill me. Wouldn't be the first time today. Except that I have an entire team on standby and we've got you surrounded."

The head lizard hissed again, clearly not believing him. Rebecca suddenly got an idea and reached into her bag. She felt around inside for a few moments and pulled out a laser pointer. She pressed the button and aimed the small red circle at the lizard.

"Looks like my best man has a bead on you, Admiral. Believe me now?"

The lizard hissed angrily at the Doctor but did not move. He stood still for a moment, considering the Doctor. Finally, he turned towards his men and hissed something at them. They reluctantly moved towards the cages and opened them, letting the slaves out. After they had finished with the ones on the ground, they went into the ship's hold and returned a few moments later with the other captives.

"That's right, folks. Keep moving. Right this way. We'll have to take your statements. You're all witnesses."

Rebecca watched as the captives moved past the Doctor and headed out of the hangar. Rebecca kept the beam on the admiral the whole time, helping the Doctor keep up his charade a bit longer.

After all the captives had left the hangar, the Doctor looked back to the admiral and said "Now, I'm gonna let you off with a warning this time. If I catch you at this again, though, I'll have you up on charges. Are we clear?"

At that moment, the battery in the laser pointer went out. The lizard looked down and noticed the beam was gone and roared at the Doctor. "Oh, well," he responded. "It was good while it lasted." He aimed his wand at the ceiling and activated it, killing the lights. "RUN!" he shouted.

Rebecca turned and headed towards the light at the end of the hangar, feeling the Doctor grab her hand as she went. She could almost hear the smile on his face as he said "Plan C!"


	3. Chapter 3

Back in the center of the spaceport, the TARDIS sat waiting for the doctor to return. Not far away, another human entered the scene. Dennis Martin had also been plucked off of Earth by the Aoppians and had half expected to be sold for slave labor on some world he'd never heard of. Dennis was a quiet individual. At 5'7, the scrawny blond young man was soft spoken but plenty strong. He only hoped that he would manage to escape somehow.

Fortunately, fate provided the opportunity in the form of the strange man in the vest and fedora. He had been an imposing man, standing over six feet with shaggy light-brown hair and broad shoulders. His green eyes had a look of someone who held many secrets and he acted as if he carried a great deal of authority. He had simply swaggered into the room and talked the aliens into letting him and the other captives go.

Dennis could hardly believe it, nor could he believe it when he saw the human girl crouched behind the cargo containers as he was leaving the hangar. She was a pretty redhead holding a laser pointer while the other man spoke of having a team at his disposal. He almost laughed at the simplicity of their clever con but simply walked out quietly, thankful to be free.

His only problem now was how he was going to get back home. He knew he wasn't on Earth any more, but had no clue how close or how far away he was from his home world. Looking around, he knew he was in some manner of spaceport. Maybe he could convince someone to give him a lift, but first he would have to learn their strange languages.

From nearby, he heard a strange humming sound and looked over to see a bright blue police box sitting in a tiny alcove off to the side. It looked so out of place in this alien setting and, yet, so at home at the same time. He approached it, drawn to it somehow. Drawing nearer, he noticed that the door had been left slightly ajar. He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to proceed, before taking a deep breath and stepping inside.

"Unbelievable."

* * *

Meanwhile, Rebecca and the Doctor made it out of the hangar and the Doctor used his device on the door, sealing it shut and stopping the aliens from pursuing. "That won't hold them long," he quickly said. "We have to get back to my ship. There's something else going on here. They shouldn't have been able to smuggle that many captives without drawing attention. We need to find out what's going on."

"How are we going to do that?" she asked.

"With this," the Doctor replied, pulling out a familiar looking device. It looked like the device the Aoppians were holding when she had first arrived.

"That's the thing they used to bring me here! The-what did you call it?"

"Multidimensional wave transducer. And I can find out where they got it from. That might tell us who they're working with. Come on." He ran off back towards the main concourse. Rebecca took a deep breath and followed. It seemed like she had barely stopped running since meeting the Doctor and it didn't look like it was going to stop soon. He seemed to be the restless type, always running about. Fortunately, he had mentioned a ship. She was relieved at this. She could take a moment to catch her breath while the Doctor dashed about his ship.

* * *

A few moments later, they arrived back in the main concourse where the Doctor immediately ran towards what looked like a blue police box. He dashed inside but left the door open for her. She stared after him, dumbfounded. This couldn't possibly be his ship, could it? _No,_ she reasoned, _it has to be some kind of cloaking device or something. The real ship is behind it. _She ran towards it and entered, finding herself inside a large round room. In the center of the room, on a raised platform, was a circular console with a large tube extending from the center of it towards the ceiling. The Doctor had the transducer in his hand and was connecting some wires to it.

"Just a few more connections and we'll be able to scan this baby," he said. He finished his tinkering and set the device down on the console. He turned to Rebecca with a wide grin on his face. "So what do you think?"

"Nice ship, but I'm not sure about the cloaking device."

"What cloaking device?"

Her eyes widened. "You mean that isn't a cloaking device? This ship really is a police box?"

"Well, it is on the outside. Haven't you ever seen a chameleon circuit before?" He stopped and looked into the distance for a moment. "Oh, wait. Human. Of course you haven't. Never mind."

"So, wait, what is this place then?"

"This is my TARDIS. Best ship in the entire universe."

Rebecca groaned in frustration. "Enough, already. I give up. Every question I ask just leads to a dozen more."

The Doctor chuckled to himself. He knew that the people he encountered often found him confusing, but he had rarely heard someone express frustration over it like this. It was a nice change of pace. Rebecca questioned so many things, never satisfied unless she had all the answers. He liked that about her. "Tell you what, then. If we get through this in one piece, I'll answer any question you have."

She joined him next to the console and looked around, taking in the TARDIS. "Guess I'll have to make sure you get through this, then, because I have a lot of questions."

"Good answer," he grinned. "Let's get to work."

* * *

Elsewhere in the spaceport, the Aoppian leader pulled out a communications device and sent out a call. His superiors needed to be notified of this development. The man had looked unfamiliar, but the device he carried was one known to many people in his line of work. If he was right, the people he worked for would want to know about this. He received a reply and began hissing to the being on the other end.

"Are you sure it's him?" a voice was heard replying. The admiral hissed back in an uncertain, yet firm, tone.

"You're right. We can't take any chances. We should commence with the next phase immediately. You have your orders, Admiral. You know what to do."

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor continued working on analyzing the transducer. Rebecca stood nearby, looking at the console and its unusual mishmash of components. There was all manner of strange, alien looking devices across the surface. However, she could also see a typewriter, a desk bell and a 1980s style telephone scattered amongst them and other distinctly human touches. "Why did you build it like this?"

"I didn't. She did," the Doctor replied.

"She?"

"The TARDIS. She rebuilt herself. It was a while ago, now. I barely remember it."

Before Rebecca could say anything about a ship that rebuilt itself, a young man stepped into the room and said "This place is amazing. Where's a video camera when you need one?"

Rebecca and the Doctor both looked up at this sudden intrusion. Rebecca was surprised to see another human here but simply presumed he was with the Doctor. Until, that is, the Doctor replied with a very stunned "What?"


	4. Chapter 4

"Who is this guy?" Rebecca asked. "Where did he come from.?'

"I'd like to know that myself," the Doctor replied. He was standing right in front of Dennis, staring him dead in the eye. It felt, to Dennis, as if the Doctor was looking right into his mind for some deep secret. "More importantly, I'd like to know just how he got into my TARDIS. I mean, honestly, haven't people heard of trespassing?"

"Um…the door was opened. I just came in. Nice digs, by the way."

"Thanks," the Doctor replied with a smile. "Okay, you can stay."

"It needs a kitchen, though."

The Doctor switched to a frown. "Conditionally, of course."

Switching gears, the Doctor dashed back over to the transducer. "No time to worry about strays. We've got a mystery to solve, kiddos. Lots of questions to answer. One: Where did the Aoppians find this? Two: Who built it? Three: Why were they kidnapping all those people? Four: Does this hat work for me? Five: What do you mean it needs a kitchen? Six: Ignore four and five. Actually make six four, four and five to five and six and just strike the last two. I'm rambling. Every time. It happens every time."

"Okay, so let's take this one at a time then," Rebecca said. "What is it?"

"It's a multidimensional wave transducer. It basically locks onto a life form and transports them to a receiving unit," the Doctor answered, staring at it intently. "It's incredibly powerful for its size. Must be very advanced."

Dennis was confused. "What does that mean exactly?"

"It means it's not Aoppian. It's not even from this time period. It's at least three centuries ahead of contemporary technology."

Rebecca and Dennis exchanged glances. Dealing with traveling through space and getting kidnapped by aliens was one thing, but now this strange man was actually talking about time travel as if it were possible. More so, as if he had firsthand knowledge of it. It was getting to be a bit much for the two of them.

"I don't suppose it's possible that we're dreaming," Rebecca said to Dennis."

"Not likely. I don't usually have dreams that are this vivid. Maybe we were at a party and we got really drunk."

"If so, we're going to have one hell of a hangover."

"Good point. Maybe we should just go with it for now."

"Agreed," she said. They shook hands and turned their attention back to the Doctor, who had not noticed their exchange. "So, Doctor, any idea who it belongs to."

"The electronic signature is familiar, but I can't quite place it. Regeneration. It always messes with my head. I'm not always at my best. Give me…" he pulled out his pocket watch and glanced at it. "An hour, maybe two. I'll get it." He walked off, muttering something about brain pans.

* * *

Back in the hangar, the Aoppians stood watching a ship landing. Their employers had arrived. The admiral was worried, though he didn't show it to his men. The masters only came when they needed to intervene themselves, and they only did that when they thought their underlings had failed. Whatever the outcome, this would not end well for him.

The ship landed and the landing ramp descended. The slavers looked on with barely controlled terror as hissing and clanking could be heard. The masters descended the ramp as the admiral stepped forward to meet his fate.

* * *

Back in the TARDIS, the Doctor and his new friends gathered around the scanner. The Doctor fiddled with some of the console's controls, trying to speed up the scan so they would know what they were dealing with.

"Something still doesn't make sense, Doctor," Rebecca spoke. "Why us? Why did the Aoppians pick us to kidnap. If the universe is as vast as it seems, why pick a couple of nothing humans? What could they possibly want with us?"

"Don't sell yourselves short, Rebecca. Humans are an amazing species. I am constantly astounded by what you lot are capable of. Believe me, the Aoppians could have done worse."

"'You lot.' Not 'we', but 'you'," Dennis said. "Are you saying you're not human, Doctor?"

"Not technically, no," the Doctor replied.

"So what are you?"

"Time Lord."

Rebecca and Dennis, still confused, dropped the subject. They looked again at the scanner. Unfortunately, it was unreadable. The language was some strange combination of circles and swirls and dots. The Doctor, however, recognized the symbols and what they said. His eyes grew wide with shock. Rebecca watched with concern and said "What? Doctor, what is it?"

"Bad," he replied. "It is very, very bad." He grabbed his hat and ran towards the doors. "Come on," he shouted back at them. "We have to hurry. This entire spaceport is in danger if we don't stop them."

Rebecca and Dennis followed him without even questioning and the trio exited the TARDIS, heading back towards the hangar. They dashed down the corridor and came to a stop outside the doors that, no more than a few hours ago, the Doctor had sealed shut.

"It's still locked, but it won't be for long. They won't let a locked door stop them. They're too single-minded."

"Who, Doctor," Dennis asked.

Suddenly, there was a sound echoing throughout the corridors, a heavy pounding coming from all sides as the lights flickered out. A second later, red emergency lights powered on and bathed the corridor in a bloodlike hue. Rebecca found it a bit disconcerting.

"Power's been cut," she noted.

"That means they've sealed off the station. Makes sense. First step in a takeover. Cut off access. Nobody in or out. They want everybody isolated. Probably cut off the overrides and the alert systems. Keep us from regrouping and fighting back."

"But who are they?" Rebecca asked.

Suddenly, the hangar door started to open. The Doctor pulled out his wand device and pointed it at the door. "Whatever happens, stay behind me and follow my lead. This is where things get tricky."

"Why? What is it?"

As the doors continued to slide open, the sound of hissing and clanking could be heard approaching, growing louder and closer. Rebecca glanced at Dennis. He was scared, but he stood by the Doctor. She then turned to the Doctor. The look on his face was one of grim determination. It was as if he knew what was going to happen and was determined to stop it. It scared Rebecca a little, but it also gave her hope. She knew that if the Doctor was going to stop it, he would also find a way to get them out of it alive.

Turning her attention back towards the door, Rebecca saw several tall robotic figures emerge, marching in unison. Each was identical to the next, as if they had been mass produced. A deep monotonous robotic voice spoke, though Rebecca couldn't tell where it came from. **"Life forms detected. You will be upgraded. Rouge elements will be deleted. Surrender immediately."**

"Cybermen," the Doctor said. "They're Cybermen."


End file.
